Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the leading product safety testing organization, and ICC Evaluation Service, Inc (ICC-ES), the United States' leader in evaluating building products for compliance with code, today announced a partnership that will provide the building materials industry with a Dual Evaluation and Certification Program for building products. Together, the highly regarded UL Mark and the trusted ICC-ES Mark will demonstrate to tens of thousands of regulators, building officials, architects and insurers that the building products and systems they inspect, design and insure are compliant with appropriate codes and product safety standards.
The Dual Evaluation and Certification Program simplifies the testing and evaluation process for manufacturers. They now have an easier way of conducting business. Through one point of contact for both UL and ICC-ES, manufacturers can conduct testing to UL safety standards, show code compliance via an ICC-ES Evaluation Report and get simultaneous postings of compliant products in UL's Online Certifications Directory and Code Correlation Database along with ICC-ES's online directory of evaluation reports and e-Codes Premium.
"This partnership between UL and ICC-ES brings two industry leaders together to create a one-stop-shop for building materials testing and evaluation needs in the built environment," says Chris Hasbrook, vice president and general manager, UL Global Building Materials and Life Safety & Security Industries. "The Dual Evaluation and Certification Program will provide manufacturers faster turnaround times and speed to market, while giving their customers two more reasons to trust the quality, safety and efficiency of their products."
In addition to streamlining testing processes, UL has enhanced the usability of its product certification information. UL's Code Correlation Database (www.ul.com/regulators/codelink) connects product certifications directly with specific applicable model installation code sections to help code authorities and other industry professionals find ICC-ES code-compliant products. The ease of viewing code sections and manufacturer listings in one location makes it the only database of its kind in the industry.
"ICC's 55,000 members now have access to the Dual Evaluation and Certification Program that will help them in their code-compliance decisions while saving time and money," said Mark Johnson, president, ICC-ES. "This is just one of the many benefits of working with a trusted partner in safety like UL, and we continue to look for new opportunities to expand this partnership to better serve our customers and members."
In October, UL and ICC-ES announced their first dual listing partnership. To provide code officials and construction professionals with a reliable means to verify that Plumbing/Mechanical/Fuel Gas (PMG) products comply with applicable codes and standards, they established a Dual PMG Listing Program.
ICC, the parent company of ICC-ES, publishes the International Codes, which include the International Building (IBC), Fire (IFC) and Residential (IRC) Codes. The IBC has been adopted in 50 states plus Washington DC, the IRC in 48 states and the IFC in 42 states at either the state or local level. Between them, ICC and ICC-ES have on staff a full range of building materials product experts and professional engineers with product evaluation experience.
UL has more than 100 years of building materials expertise and is the North American leader in fire safety testing, certification and research. The company is dedicated to working with architects, regulatory authorities, manufacturers, insurers, building owners, retailers and other partners in the building materials community to improve safety both at work and at home. For more information about UL's expertise in Building Materials and Life Safety & Security, visit the industries section on www.ul.com.
About Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that has been testing products and writing Standards for Safety for over a century. UL evaluates more than 19,000 types of products, components, materials and systems, with 20 billion UL Marks appearing on 72,000 manufacturers' products each year. UL's worldwide family of companies and network of service providers includes 64 laboratory, testing and certification facilities serving customers in 98 countries.
About ICC Evaluation Service
A nonprofit, public-benefit corporation, ICC-ES is the United States' leading evaluation service for innovative building materials, components and systems. The ICC-ES Evaluation Reports and PMG Listing Program provide evidence that products and systems meet requirements in codes and standards. The ICC-ES SAVE Program provides verification that products have been independently verified as having the sustainable attributes claimed by the manufacturer to develop and advance sustainable design and construction. ICC-ES is a subsidiary of the International Code Council.
Underwriters Laboratories, ICC Evaluation Service announce dual evaluation and certification program for building products
